Social media for social good - How nonprofits can integrate social media into their fundraising

Nonprofits will learn about the benefits of fundraising using Web 2.0 tools, understand how to integrate social media into existing fundraising efforts, and gain insight on how to discern a good online campaign from a bad one.

If they’d like to use the hashtag to ask questions or give input or share their thoughts, they are welcome to do so.

Social media doesn’t replace other forms of fundraising (way too new). It’s an added layer. Works best in conjunction with other forms of fundraising: direct mail, e-mail, events, etc. Can be used primarily to increase awareness of your nonprofit and communicate with supporters, donors, potential donors, etc. Social media is a way to engage them so they eventually give money. Let’s talk about the generational differences. Who’s using social media? What approach would work best for your audience?

Review the chart. Remind them that Gen Y (or Millennials) are a sizeable group – more than 51 million strong. Half of us give to charity. It’s important to engage this audience now - because when they are boomers and beyond (and more wealthy), they will give to YOUR cause/nonprofit.

The last three really pertain to our discussion today. Facebook and other social media are lumped together, capturing only 2% of the Mature generation. Does this mean you should abandon your social media profiles (if you have them set up already) if you appeal primarily to older adults? No. Keep those networks up. Perhaps at this time your social media profiles would be your second tier of communication. And if you haven’t set up social media profiles - do! Even if they don’t result in huge financial gifts, the communication tools and access they provide are invaluable…and can lead to financial gifts sometime in the future. So we’ve talked about HOW people give. Let’s talk about why.

People want to know how their money will solve the problem, not how your organization will solve it. Highly recommend Katya Andersen’s Homer Simpson for Nonprofits – tells you how people really think. http://web.networkforgood.org/201002ebook In designing a fundraising campaign that appeals to a donor, a donor will ask, “How can my money make a difference to the cause? Even if it’s only $20? Or $50? NOT: “How can I help this organization make a difference to the cause?” That is secondary. Be the donor

Pyramid of social media engagement. Most organizations have a pretty decent amount of followers. But once you bring people from followers to SUPPORTERS, that’s where the power lies. Also, this pyramid can be read top to bottom or bottom to top. People who are at one point organizers can get new passions and then go back to being a follower. So don’t take the folks at the top for granted.

How do we move people from supporters to followers? That’s the key with using social media profiles to drum up support for your cause. Anyone can get followers. Simply being active on the social networks can allow you to get a sizeable number of followers. It is much harder to find SUPPORTERS, as I’m sure you already know.

Notice that these aren’t necessarily about how to use Facebook or maximizing your YouTube videos…it is about messages and causes, not necessarily specific websites, platforms or tools.

Make it personal - try and tap into a personal experience, emotion or situation your donor(s) could face or have faced.

Examples: MedWish International, Charity:Water

Charity: water has a lot going for it. It’s easy to donate. They have the Twestival. Two clicks to their donate page, easily visible from the home page. Home page has an image of an individual and their story. Talk a little about Twestival and what it means for nonprofits.

The real value of using social media is the power to harness the effects of referrals and word of mouth. {Cleveland International Film Festival - @CIFF - great use of social media and sharing for the last festival)

American Cancer Society – Much larger organization that the ones in the room, but they have some good tactics that wouldn’t be as costly to implement. Twitter/Facebook link, shows how many people have already joined. If you’re nervous about showing how many people have already participated, start with your staff. Then ask each staff member to ask one other person to contribute. It‘s okay if it starts small… Bonus tidbit: Can you link your campaign to an existing event? #100X100 on Twitter www.onehundredsquared.com April 10 – during the NTEN conference 1400 + nonprofit professionals interested in social media - what better audience?

Malaria No More Backstory from the website: Ashton Kutcher beat CNN to one million followers on the social media platform Twitter at 2:13am EST on Friday, April 17th. To celebrate his triumph over the network giant, Kutcher is sending 10,000 mosquito nets to help Malaria No More fight malaria in Africa. This will help protect 20,000 children from this disease—and raise awareness just in time for World Malaria Day on April 25th! Early Friday morning as his numbers pulled ahead, Ashton showed off a check to Malaria No More for $100,000, already cut and signed, during a live video feed as he counted down to one million followers. Charity:Water. They show videos of the drilling of the wells in real time that can be watched via the Web.

More information on the Haiti earthquake fundraising campaign: http://mashable.com/2010/01/13/haiti-red-cross-donations/ http://www.journalism.org/index_report/social_media_aid_haiti_relief_effort

Transcript of "Social media for social good - How nonprofits can integrate social media into their fundraising"

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5 SUGGESTIONS FOR SMALL NONPROFITS <ul><li>Make it emotional. </li></ul><ul><li>Make a specific ask. </li></ul><ul><li>Make it easy to donate. </li></ul><ul><li>Make it easy to “join the movement.” </li></ul><ul><li>Make it easy to share. </li></ul>

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MAKE IT EMOTIONAL <ul><li>People are twice as likely to give a charitable gift when presented with an emotion-inducing personal story that focuses exclusively on his or her plight — rather than a group of “unnamed statistical victims.” </li></ul><ul><li>“ Don’t be afraid of emotion. It’s not sappy; it’s what makes people care.” </li></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Homer Simpson for Nonprofits </li></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul>

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MAKE A SPECIFIC ASK <ul><li>Don’t just say “please give money” </li></ul><ul><li>Tell each donor - in tangible terms - just what his/her $25 or $50 will provide </li></ul>

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MAKE IT (ASTONISHINGLY) EASY TO DONATE <ul><li>Ask yourself: How many clicks does it take to get to your Donate Now page? Is it buried? </li></ul><ul><li>Most people (particularly Boomers and the Mature generation) WILL go back to your website before donating. </li></ul><ul><li>Example: Charity:Water </li></ul>

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MAKE IT EASY TO SHARE <ul><li>Add ShareThis, AddThis buttons </li></ul><ul><li>Encourage retweets and blog posts </li></ul><ul><li>Create a hashtag if you’re using Twitter </li></ul>